


To Become One

by Fayah



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Loveless Fusion, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-06
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2017-12-07 16:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/750455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fayah/pseuds/Fayah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kuroko yearns and Aomine makes bad life decisions. (Very loosely based on the Loveless universe with catboys, magic, and dynamic duos)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> By AU, I mean the really lose concept of the Loveless ‘verse. All you need to know is that virgins have ears/tails, there are teams of two people, a fighter and a sacrifice, with pairing names magically tattooed on their body kinda like MLP cutie marks, they fight by saying pretty words (the sacrifice takes all the damage), and there is a training academy where Akashi is the headmaster. I haven’t read the actual manga in like 6 years, so yay artistic liberties.

Kuroko’s earliest memories are filled with the chill of the metal operating table and Akashi’s calm surgical voice.  He thinks it might have been different, once upon a time, once upon a dream, but he doesn’t dwell on it. 

“You’ll make a good Sacrifice, Tetsuya,” Akashi always assures him with a pat to the cheek. And then the pain begins.

* * *

 

Over the years, the searing burn of the scalpel dwindles to a numbed touch and he begins to forget the feeling of pain. As a final test, Akashi litters Kuroko’s body in wounds,  _Merciless_  as his true name implies. Kuroko does not even flinch.

Pleased, Akashi pats him on the cheek as usual and wraps his wounds. For the first time, he is allowed to leave his “room” and becomes officially enrolled the academy as a Sacrifice.

And finally, he gets to see it, the bright blinding sky of his dreams. It’s so blinding, in fact, that he misses the sleeping figure in front of his path and trips.

“Oi! Watch where you’re walking!” 

The figure is actually a boy, tanned and muscular, unlike anyone Kuroko has seen before. His hair is blue, much like Kuroko’s, but darker, shorter, with a matching shade of wolfish ears. It fits him well, Kuroko thinks, but he can’t explain why.

Kuroko picks himself up from the ground, and gives a small bow. “I apologize.”

The boy glares, but then flops back to the ground, too lazy to pursue the matter. “Whatever, just be careful,” the boy says dismissively, and his eyes droop closed as he yawns. “What are you in such a hurry for anyways? Today’s a nice day.”

“I’m not,” Kuroko informs him, squatting down curiously to observe the relaxed face.

“Ah?” A single blue eye peaks open, scanning Kuroko once over before, once again, closing. “Then sit with me for a little, you look way too pale. Geez. What have you been doing? Living under a rock?”

Akashi scolds him when he comes back sporting a sunburn on his first day out, but Kuroko doesn’t regret it.

* * *

 

The boy’s name is Aomine Daiki, Kuroko learns, and despite his laid-back attitude, he is the top Fighter of the academy. On the field, his words are a bit wild, but fiercely confident, undeniably powerful. 

The academy separates Fighters and Sacrifices on different ends of the campus, but that does not stop Kuroko from peaking at Aomine’s practices, and it does not stop Aomine from slinging his arm around Kuroko’s shoulder and dragging off the smaller boy after said practices.

They become quick friends, even if Kuroko cannot fathom why Aomine chooses him to befriend of all people, but Akashi does not object, and it becomes all too easy to be swept into Aomine’s pace. 

* * *

 

One thing Kuroko quickly discovers is that Aomine enjoys food, ice cream in particular during the summer months. No flavor seems to daunt Aomine, which becomes a problem when Aomine begins to order for both of them and Kuroko learns that he does not have nearly as much of a tolerance for flavors.

He eats it anyways though, because if nothing else, Kuroko is good at taking orders. Akashi is only satisfied by absolute obedience.

“How is it?” Aomine asks expectantly after Kuroko nibbles at the popsicle. The flavor of the day is sour cherry apple, the worst he has tried so far, but Kuroko schools his face to remain blank.

“It’s…” Kuroko grasps for a polite word. He’s already used interesting the past three times that week and is running short on ideas. He tries harder to think of something, not wanting to disappoint Aomine, but the thought of disappointing the Fighter is upsetting enough to cause his ears to betray him, flattening against his head reflexively.

Aomine notices immediately, eyes softening. He does not resist the rising urge to ruffle Kuroko’s hair, and pats over the depressed ears with a laugh. “Tetsu, you can be honest, you know. I’m not going to get mad if you don’t like it.”

Kuroko blinks, ears perking up, and he looks from his ice cream to Aomine, then back to his ice cream. “To be frank, Aomine-kun,” Kuroko says slowly, testing the sound of the words on his tongue before he continues in a faster tone, “I don’t understand how you can even eat this. It’s too sour.”

Aomine only laughs again. “Why didn’t you just say so earlier, Tetsu?” He asks teasingly, and grabs the ice cream in Kuroko’s hand, biting off a large chunk of it for himself. “More for me.”

“I will be sure to tell Aomine-kun how awful his tastes are next time, then,” Kuroko says with the slightest of smiles.

“O-oi! You don’t have to say it like that!”

* * *

 

Their outings grow so frequent that the rest of the Fighter class, being a horrible group of gossips, become interested in the sacrifice that has Aomine’s interest.

“Hmm, he looks…absolutely weak,” one of them says with disappointment, a tall blonde whom Kuroko soon identifies as Kise, ranked third despite his late enrollment. In battle, Kise’s words are smooth and confident, much like Aomine’s, but they are mixed with little quips borrowed from others. Kuroko likes Kise’s enthusiasm, even if he gives phony smiles too freely, but now, Kuroko finds himself reconsidering his opinion of the blond.

“Kise-kun, I can hear you,” Kuroko says, appearing right beside Kise. To his satisfaction, Kise nearly falls backwards at the unexpected reply, and Aomine’s laugh echoes in the training room. 

“Tetsu? You’re here early,” Aomine says, and offers out his fist for a scare well done. Kuroko lips twitch into a small smile, and he returns the fist bump.

From the corner of the room, someone makes a light scoffing “hmph.” Kuroko turns and spots Midorima, second in the class next to Aomine. “Getting so attached to a sacrifice already, Aomine?” Midorima asks, adjusting his glasses as he pretends to look away and feign disinterest.

If Aomine is wild, Midorima is the complete opposite - precise and controlled in both his words and mannerisms. He has his own quirk in his steadfast devotion to his horoscope, and much to everyone’s amusement, he always tries to incorporates his “lucky word” (as forecast by Oha-Asa) into his attacks no matter how nonsensical the word. Kuroko admires him for that, but, of course, he much rather prefers Aomine’s style.

Midorima’s latest words, however, confuse Kuroko. He looks to Aomine and sees a flash of understanding, but Aomine’s eyes narrow and he puts an arm possessively around Kuroko.

“You have a problem with it?” He replies, tilting his head tauntingly.

Midorima turns around and raises an empty hand flippantly as he walks away. “I couldn’t care less about your foolish behavior.”

Aomine makes a face at Midorima’s back, and drags Kuroko away before he can dwell on it.

* * *

 

“Tetsu, let’s try the Teriyaki flavor today,” Aomine says at the dessert stand, pointing to the special of the day.

Kuroko stares and contemplates the idea for a grand total of two seconds before he turns to the vendor and gives an order for a vanilla milkshake instead. “Aomine-kun has weird tastes,” he comments, and remains unfazed by Aomine’s offended hmph.

“No sense of adventure,” Aomine mutters, but smiles nevertheless when he sees the zoned-out look of satisfaction that Kuroko gets - ears flattened, eyes closed, and tail swishing excitedly from side to side - when he drinks the milkshake.

And it’s really unfair, Aomine thinks, how easily Kuroko effects him.

* * *

 

It’s in their second to last year of the academy that their true names begin to appear. Aomine’s emerges first, the word “ _One_ ” scrawled on his palms in something much more permanent than black ink.

Kuroko checks his palm that same day. It is disappointingly blank.

“What does it matter?” Aomine says, taking that same hand in his own. “Tetsu is definitely my partner, I’m sure of it.”

Kuroko squeezes Aomine’s hand, and grips those words tightly in his heart. “Yes, definitely.”


	2. Chapter 2

That year, Kuroko moves in with Aomine in a mixed dorm normally reserved for Named fighter-sacrifice pairs. Kuroko figures this privilege is one of the many perks Aomine has as the top Fighter in the academy.  What surprises him more is Akashi agreeing to such a thing. The headmaster sends him off in an unusually thoughtful mood and Kuroko numbly obeys as always.

The calculating smile on Akashi’s face before he bids Kuroko farewell lingers in Kuroko’s mind for the rest of the evening as he moves his paltry bag of belongings to the new dormitory building. The nagging feeling of unease only dissipates when Aomine greets him at the door with a dazzling smile that brushes away all his worries.

Kuroko can’t help but smile back. If he is with Aomine, then surely, things will work out.

“Tetsu! Come on in,” Aomine calls, and Kuroko follows like a moth to a flame.

 

* * *

 

Their classes start a day after the move. Even though they share a room, Aomine is still a Fighter and Kuroko is still a Sacrifice, so they share no classes except for a joint fighting practice that everyone in their year is required to take.

It is the first time for many blank, Unnamed Sacrifices to interact with the Fighters, and the gossip mill churns like never before. Kuroko supposes, in a way, he has a bit of an unfair advantage because of his friendship with Aomine, but as their tactics instructor has mentioned, sometimes life is unfair and that’s a fact that must not be dwelt on but rather exploited to its fullest.

While his peers gossip anxiously about rumors of the upcoming class and the bad temperaments among the Fighters, Kuroko spends the whole day looking forward to it. To having a class with a friendly face. With  _Aomine_.

And when the time for the class finally does come, Kuroko wastes no time slipping away from the side of the room where the Sacrifices congregated to the side of the Fighters. To Aomine’s credit, he doesn’t even flinch when Kuroko greets him from behind.

“Oh, you’re finally here Tetsu?” Aomine grins, holding out a fist. “We’re going to work together, right?”

Kuroko meets the fist with his own and smiles. “Of course.”

With the encouragement of their instructor, the rest of the students soon follow their example, albeit more slowly and with much more pandering around. While Aomine yawns, bored of the lack of action already, Kuroko takes careful note of his surroundings. He doesn’t see Midorima, though he briefly hears Kise’s voice among a crowd of the more forward Sacrifices vying for his partnership.

Aomine catches on and snickers at Kise’s predicament. “Serves him right. “ ’M lucky I have you Tetsu, huh?”

Kuroko thinks that, if anything,  _he_  is the lucky one, not Aomine, but the instructor grabs their attention once more with the sound of a whistle. The whole gymnasium has finally finished separating into little islands of Fighter-Sacrifice pairs, a sight that Riko looks over with satisfaction.

She is a new instructor at the academy, one of the youngest they have ever hired, but by no means incompetent. She will make these students bloom.

“Now I hope everyone has found a partner,” she announces through her loudspeaker, “because to start off this class, we’re going to have a ranking tournament.”

Aomine’s eyes light up at the thought of a battle.  _A whole tournament of battles_. “Alright! Let’s win this, Tetsu!”

Kuroko shakes from nervous anticipation. This will be his first real battle, outside  of classroom theories and simulations. But for Aomine’s sake, he nods in agreement. “Of course,” he says again.

* * *

 

The matches are more like slugfests than actual spell battles. The link between the couples are tenuous at best, and even the damage from a single hit is multiplied tenfold by their unsteady resonance.   

‘ _Well,_ ’ Riko thinks as she checks off the results of yet another match on her list, “ _I expected as much._ ’

And yet, one pairing does defy her expectation.

“ _Too slow, too weak, your attacks can’t reach_!”

Aomine Daiki, the top Fighter of the school, even outplacing the seniors through sheer talent. He has no trouble dispelling the other team’s attack, calling out a counter for it before they could even finish it. ‘ _What a monster_ ,’ Riko thinks approvingly.

“Aomine-kun, the real one is to your right!”

And not only that, his connection to his Sacrifice is noticeably better than any of the other couples. Riko can sense it, even without the Sacrifice receiving a single scratch. It is unusual, considering Aomine’s record of delinquency and aloofness, to see such a strong attachment.

The Sacrifice is unremarkable in comparison, and yet he plays the role of a typical Sacrifice perfectly, assessing the situation with a keen eye and directing Aomine’s destructive power efficiently.

“Got it.  _Split, divide, restrain, your illusion is no more!_ ”

What made the pairing truly effective though is the way Aomine reacts to his Sacrifice’s words without hesitation, a trait usually only found in veteran pairs. It speaks volumes of the trust and respect they shared, a vital trait for Fighter-Sacrifice pairs.

Aomine rips through the illusion spell of the opposing team like tissue paper and with that, the other team’s sacrifice becomes immobilized by chains, losing by default. The whistle blows.

“Looks like we have our winners,” she declares.

Riko smiles. Aomine Daiki and Kuroko Tetsuya, an interesting pair indeed.

* * *

 

That night, Kuroko finds Aomine on his bed, curled up and still in uniform. Kuroko would even dare to call it cute, if not for the puddle of drool he spots forming on his sheets.

“Aomine-kun, please move. You have your own bed,” Kuroko says calmly.

“Don’t wanna, ‘m tired,’ Aomine whines.

Kuroko’s eyes soften. Aomine did do most of the work in their matches today, gleefully tearing his way to the finals and bringing Kuroko for the ride. Even now, Kuroko has no words to describe how amazing it feels to see Aomine in action, to be even a small part of that action.

“Then, scoot over please. And don’t drool.”

Aomine grunts, but obeys nonetheless and Kuroko slides in next to Aomine. The bed is warm with the heat of a second body, warmer than any blanket Kuroko had ever had. Unconsciously, he relaxes inside that cocoon of safety.

“Hey Tetsu.”

“Hm?”

“We were pretty awesome today, huh?”

“Mmm…”

“You were really amazing out there too, ya’know? Thanks for watching my back.”

“Mm….”

“Hey Tetsu…”

This time, Aomine receives no reply. He turns around, noticing that Kuroko is already fast asleep. It’s a nice sight, Aomine thinks. Rarely has he ever seen Kuroko so relaxed, lips slightly parted with a completely peaceful, unguarded expression.

It’s an expression of trust, Aomine realizes. Trust in him, of all people.

Aomine turns back around.

“Hey Tetsu,” he says once more in a hushed whisper. “I think…I think I like you.”

He pauses, and in an even quieter voice, asks, “…Do you like me too?”

* * *

 

It becomes routine for Aomine to regularly crash Kuroko’s bed, and soon he begins to invade other aspects of Kuroko’s living space. It becomes almost expected to find a porn magazine lying in every shadowy corner, and Kuroko has gone around half asleep more than once in an overly large shirt that had been mixed in with his own laundry.

Somehow, Kuroko doesn’t find himself minding as much as he expected.

Aomine’s mere presence fills the room in a way the silence of his old dormitory room never could and it added an atmosphere to their new living space that Kuroko could only describe as  _cozy,_ as corny as that sounded. Perhaps the lazy afternoons spent together on the couch watching (much to Aomine’s complaint) reruns of the sappiest soap operas is wearing off on him, but in between their adventurous take-out food sampling and their late nights of brainstorming an ever growing list of combinations and strategies, Kuroko has no time to be anything less than content with the new pace of his life.

And yet, much to everyone’s bewilderment, Aomine and Kuroko are not the first pair in the class to share a Name. That honor goes to a relatively low ranked couple. Aomine doesn’t even remember seeing them in the final rounds of a ranking tournament before.

More and more, Aomine catches sight of Kuroko staring at his palm for a word that still refuses to appear. And again and again, he takes that small hand in his own.

“It’ll come, it’ll come,” he reassures.

“Mm,” Kuroko agrees, then looks away.

* * *

A fair share of partner switching occurs during every class, even between practice matches. As the school year goes on, everyone becomes more desperate to find that one partner who will complete their true Name. It is only Aomine who still stubbornly clings to Kuroko, and Kuroko clings right back.

Riko is not sure what to say to them, so she remains silent because, despite all odds, the two continue to defend their position as the top pair in the class without fail.

She wonders, though, how long this can last, especially with the increasing amount of Named pairs. An Unnamed pair is put at a significant disadvantage when receiving damage, one Aomine and Kuroko has only managed to avoid by completing their matches without a scratch.

It’s a miracle, really. One born by Aomine’s monstrous strength.

“Let’s raise the challenge, then,” Akashi proposes during the board meeting amongst the faculty after Riko reports the oddity in her class.

“…raise the challenge?” Riko repeats in confusion.

A smirk, shrewd and predatory, forms on Akashi’s face, setting the whole room at ill ease. “I think it’s about time we let them learn from the seniors on how spell battles truly work.”

* * *

 

“Please be careful, Aomine-kun, our opponents this time are seniors,” Kuroko warns before their match. Even if it is an unranked practice match, he fully intends to take it as serious as a real match.

  
“I know,” Aomine mutters, glancing at their opponent’s Fighter. “I’ve fought him before. He’s a bastard.”

Kuroko sends a questioning look. “What is he like?”

“Annoying,” Aomine huffs and gets into position for their match. “But don’t worry, I won’t let him lay a hand on you, Tetsu.”

“Oh? So arrogant already?” The other pair is already in position, with their fighter in front. Kuroko immediately feels unease at the wild gleam in the fighter’s eyes. They are eyes that challenge Aomine’s confidence without hesitation.

“Tch, I’ve beaten you before, Haizaki.” Aomine taunts, holding out his middle finger defiantly.

“Ha, that’s because we’ve only met in unpaired matches. Paired matches are a whole different ball field.”

Suddenly, Haizaki roughly grabs his Sacrifice’s hand and Kuroko can almost seen the resonance between them in their identical smirks. “Let’s show you how it’s done.”

They chant, perfectly in unison, “ _We are Ruthless, attacking like a gale, tearing, constantly, unrelenting!_ ”

Aomine unconsciously moves in front of Kuroko before the razor sharp winds even form. “ _Turn back, send back, you are not welcomed. Taste your own medicine, all spells-._ ”

The other team quickly counters. “ _Rip, cleave, your barrier is too weak. Break!_ ”

“Shit-“

A resounding explosion of wind sounded from the center of the field. In the midst of it, Aomine can’t even open his eyes, but he hears one voice clearly over the roaring of the gust. “Aomine-kun, it’s okay,  _attack_.”

“Tetsu! Shit-“ Aomine is torn between seeking out his Sacrifice and obeying, but he realizes he doesn’t have a second to waste. “ _Dispel, redirect, circle, enclose. You cannot escape!_ ”

The field clears.

Aomine can finally see again. In front of him, Haizaki’s Sacrifice is firmly bound in both wounds and multiple restrictive chains that reflect the full extent of his powerful counter attack, and while Haizaki remains without a scratch, he is noticeably annoyed. They had won, but more importantly -

“Tetsu! Are you alright?”

Kuroko is in a better state than their opponent, if not just marginally. There are several bleeding cuts on his arms, and a chain encircles both his wrists and his neck. And yet, Kuroko looks up and assures him in a strangely calm voice, “I’m fine, Aomine-kun. These are just minor wounds. I don’t feel any pain from them.”

“Minor?” Aomine scoffs, pointing at a particularly nasty wound on Kuroko’s shoulder. ‘ _Too much blood, too much,_ ’ his mind reels in alarm. “You’re bleeding all over the place, Tetsu. I thought I told you that you can be honest with me.”

The chains burst into light and disappear, signaling the end of the match. Finally free to move more, Kuroko examines his own wounds with a disinterest that alarms Aomine. “But I am being honest with you, Aomine-kun,” Kuroko says. “I am not supposed to feel pain. This is what all Sacrifices are trained for, so please, don’t worry about me.”

“..not…feel pain?” Aomine repeats in confusion.

The whistle blows. “Okay, Kuroko, let’s get you to the nurse,” Riko interrupts, and Aomine can only stare worriedly as a group of teachers carry away his partner.

“I’ll be okay,” Kuroko repeats, but the words do not comfort Aomine at the least.

* * *

 

Aomine and Midorima are not friends. They are grudging acquaintances at best, but as much as Aomine hates to admit it, Midorima is  _smart_ , more often than not, in a very obnoxious manner.

And yet here he is, seeking out Midorima after the conclusion of their class. Aomine has questions, and he wants answers, even if it means swallowing his pride.

“What kind of training do Sacrifices get?” Aomine asks, cutting directly to his question without delay.

Midorima examines Aomine once over, noticing his curled fist and obviously agitated expression. He adjusts his glasses and sighs. “You really don’t pay attention in class, do you?”

“Oi! What does that have to do with anything?”

“If you had been paying attention, maybe you would know that Sacrifices are very different from Fighters. Because they shield us from damage in a battle, their lifespans are also significantly shorter and their numbers far fewer. Whereas academy training is voluntary for us, it is mandatory for them for the sake of optimizing their survivability. Most are taken in at a young age with much…harsher training. “

 “I thought Tetsu just read books all day. Tactics, or something like that? How is that harsh?” Aomine says, dumbfounded.

“That’s only a part of it,” Midorima explains. “Pain desensitization is also ingrained at a young age, so that they can persist longer in battles, and for the most part, they are kept isolated to prevent attachment to any particular fighter before the critical period when Names begin to appear. It’s surprising that Kuroko managed to visit you so often. Didn’t you find it odd at all, that he’s the only sacrifice you’ve ever met last year?”

“…no? He’s the only one I wanted to meet anyways.”

“Hmph, you really are a dense idiot. I suggest you don’t think further about this, your brain might explode from the effort.” With that, Midorima dodges Aomine’s petty swipe of anger at his shirt and walks away.

“I’ll do what I want!” Aomine shouts at his back.

“Go ahead, I’m not your babysitter. I won’t be responsible for the mess that you’re bound to make,” Midorima challenges, leaving Aomine by himself for the second time that day.

* * *

 

When Aomine returns, he finds Kuroko asleep before him for once. His wounds are bandaged now, covering a significant part of his body. It’s amazing that they even let him return back to the room.

  
“Hey Tetsu,” Aomine whispers, reaching for Kuroko’s uninjured palm. It’s blank, as usual, and for the first time, Aomine understands that nagging feeling of uncertainty that Kuroko must have always felt.

“I’m sorry, I’m a pretty shitty Fighter, aren’t I?”

For the first time, Aomine sleeps in his own bed.

* * *

 

“I’ll fight by myself today,” Aomine declares the next day in class. Everyone stares at the unprecedented move.

“Aomine-kun, I’m fine, I can fight-“ Kuroko begins, but Aomine is already in position, beckoning his opponents to start the battle. He does not even turn around at the sound of his voice. 

Now, more than ever, Aomine’s back appears infinitely distant despite only being separated by mere meters.

For the first time, Kuroko begins to understand a new kind of pain, one that he doesn’t know how to ignore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's more obvious in this chapter that I'm taking a ton of liberties with the Loveless universe lol. But it didn't make much sense in the manga/anime anyways 
> 
> Just one more part left...and it looks to be obnoxiously long.


	3. Chapter 3

The new student is the topic of gossip nowadays, and somehow, Kuroko finds himself in the middle of rumors yet again. Even now, after Aomine has moved out in a fresh new school year, his partner's actions – ex-partner, he corrects himself – still manages to affect Kuroko's life.

The open rooming space that Aomine moves to a different dormitory just  _happens_ to be assigned to the new transfer student. The odd rooming assignment is, no doubt, Akashi's way of telling him to move on with his life. An unnamed Sacrifice is not meant to be attached to any one Fighter.

But Aomine had barged into his life, bringing with him a whirlwind of emotions that Kuroko can't let go. He refuses to let go, because it is what makes him  _feel_. And nothing can make him let go of these foolish new feelings, even if his aching heart sometimes wishes otherwise.

* * *

The first thing Kuroko notices about Kagami is his strange eyebrows. They are furrowed together in a scowl so intense that it was actually a bit humorous.

The first thing Kagami notices about Kuroko is his absence. Or so he thinks. Kuroko's lack of a presence and Kagami's horror at the state of disarray of the room's kitchen causes him to totally miss hearing Kuroko enter the room, and so Kuroko stands aside and watches the new addition to his life curiously.

The transfer student is muttering to himself, rummaging through the cabinets in search of cooking supplies, only to find Aomine's stash of porn magazines instead. Ah – they are one of the few remaining stashes that Kuroko has been unable to find.

"Sorry," Kuroko says, snatching the magazines away from Kagami and nearly causing the other boy to fall over in shock. "It seems Aomine-kun forgot to take those with him."

Kagami just gapes at him. "Where the hell did you come from?"

Kuroko smiles. It's been a while since someone's been so shocked by his lack of a presence – even Kise has gotten used to it after a year of being classmates. "I came in a little while ago."

"I didn't hear you at all-"

"Kuroko Tetsuya," Kuroko introduces himself, ignoring Kagami's sputtering. He offers a hand to the fallen boy. "It seems we're roommates now, so let's get along."

Kagami continues to grumble something under his breath in a language that Kuroko does not understand, but he accepts the hand nonetheless. "Kagami Taiga. Don't hold me back and we'll get along fine."

* * *

"Aominecchi, did you hear? Kurokocchi got a new roommate!"

Aomine doesn't even open his eyes. "So what?"

Tetsu is no longer his partner. They are just two regular students now, nothing more.

But why did that thought bother him so much?

"Kagami-kun, Why did you decide to come here?" Kuroko asks over their dinner.

When Kagami had found out that Kuroko had been living solely on _take-out_ over the last few years, he had thrown out all of Kuroko's menus and had insisted on cooking their meals. It is, admittedly, an improvement.

Despite appearances, Kagami turns out to be a surprisingly competent cook. Most likely for his own sake, Kuroko guesses as he watches Kagami devouring his meal with fervor.

"…I want to get stronger," Kagami says finally, putting down his empty bowl. "The students here, they're pretty strong, aren't they?"

An image of Aomine flashes briefly in Kuroko's mind.

"Very."

Kagami grins. "Then what other reason would I need?"

There is something in Kagami that thirsts for the challenge of an opponent, the thrill of battle. Kuroko thinks that, once upon a time, Aomine had that same hunger. But ever since  _that_  match, it has disappeared under a veil of fear – a fear of hurting Kuroko. Being the idiot that he is, Aomine has stuck himself between a rock and a hard place: he can't enjoy a match with Kuroko, and he can't enjoy one without.

"…Kagami-kun…"

"Hm?"

Kuroko's eyes gain a hardened determination. "If you want to take down the top students, then allow me to help you. I know more about them than you, and it is…within my interests as well."

He too, wants to become strong, strong enough to stand by Aomine's side once more. So that Aomine – no, so that  _both_  of them – could enjoy matches to their fullest as before.

"Heh." Kuroko, at first, strikes him as a passive person, but Kagami decides that he has misjudged- this look, one full of tenacity and purpose, suits Kuroko the best. He doesn't understand where Kuroko's resolve comes from, but he respects it regardless.

"Like I said before, just don't hold me back."

* * *

Aomine doesn't show up to practice the following day. It isn't an uncommon occurrence. In fact, it's almost expected these days.

"Looking for someone?" Kagami asks curiously at his partner's distant look. Kuroko shakes his head.

"Not really."

For now, he will give up on Aomine. Because as he is, Kuroko will never be able to reach Aomine from the self-isolation that the idiot has imposed on himself. Instead, he will focus on the present, on improving, so that one day his words will once again reach that lonely back.

* * *

Kagami is no Aomine, but he  _is_  talented. And Kuroko has never stuck out even after being the partner of the top student for so long, but he credits himself to be competent at the very least. Yet no one thinks much of them in their first match.

That is their first mistake.

Their first opponent isn't notable – Mitobe and Koganei, two fellow seniors that went under the name  _soundless_. Kuroko considers them good at best, though they pale in comparison to the company Aomine usually keeps.

" _Bind_!" Koganei shouts. It's a simple spell, so horrendously basic that Kagami feels offended.

"Oi oi, is that all you have?  _Dispel, your efforts are weak_." The tendrils of ethereal ribbons that were headed towards the two dissipate under the force of Kagami's powerful words. "Put some effort in your words,  _burn_."

Kuroko notes that though the vocabulary Kagami uses is limited, the sheer willpower he forces through them are enough to ignite the whole stage in an illusion of a giant fire.

"Ack!" Koganei glances around, sweating from both the heat and stress – he is thoroughly lost in the illusion. At least, he  _was_ , until his Sacrifice comes to his side, gripping his hand in a show of silent support. Their opponent calms, but it is too late.

"Kagami-kun, they're not finished yet," Kuroko reminds.

"They will be in a second!  _Chains of fire, consume, restrain_."

And as much as their opponents struggle against the enclosing wall of fire, they eventually fall. Through the bright orange illusion, Kuroko spies Koganei attempting to protect Mitobe to the very end. Kuroko wills his heart not to ache in nostalgia.

Riko's whistle goes off. "Winner: Kagami and Kuroko pair."

* * *

"You know," Kagami says between mouthfuls of rice, "you talk big, but you don't really do much, do you?"

Kuroko tilts his head in question, feeling a little miffed at the accusation. "I do everything that is required of any Sacrifice."

"Yeah, but are you  _satisfied_ with that?"

A frown crosses Kuroko's face. Satisfied? Of course he isn't satisfied with being a mere shield, someone little more than an onlooker, but… "What more can I do?"

Resting his head on a half-folded hand, Kagami fixes Kuroko with a curious stare. "You know, I noticed something today. The Sacrifices here…they don't use spells, do they?"

Kuroko looks back blankly. "No, we can't."

"Why not?"

"Sacrifices don't have much magical affinity to create an aura for their own spells. We've never been taught because it's pretty much hopeless for us."

"But have you  _tried_?" The Fighter challenges.

"…No."

Kagami smirks. "I used to have a partner," he says. Kuroko notes the fondness in his voice, but he doesn't dare ask about Kagami's past when he hasn't even shared his own. "Even though people told him his talent wasn't enough, he would never accept it. He practiced every day to improve, and I respected him for it. It taught me something."

The chopsticks in Kagami's hands are pointed straight at Kuroko's face. "Kuroko, the only one deciding your limit is you alone. I won't forgive you if you hold me back, but I won't forgive you if you hold yourself back either."

Kuroko considers the words, then closes his eyes. "I'm impressed Kagami-kun, that was surprisingly observant of you."

"Oi!"

He smiles. "Kagami-kun…thank you."

There are traces of a blush on the Fighter's face, though he tries to hide it by picking up his rice bowl once more.

"But now, since you brought it up, please take responsibility."

Kagami almost drops his bowl. " _What_?"

"Someone has to teach me about spells," Kuroko points out. Kagami grumbles, but agrees.

"Tomorrow, training room, 9 PM. Don't think I'll go easy on you."

* * *

Their bond improves considerably from there on out.

They win their next match, and the one after that, and continue to win, starting an undefeated streak that soon attracts a betting pool among both the students and teachers.

The matches get harder – Kagami has had to carry Kuroko back to the dorm more than once, but he says nothing about it. Instead, they share a commemorative silence. Kagami understands – injuries are an inevitability in battle, but, as long as there are no regrets, as long as they live to fight another they, they are a mere side-note to a bigger picture.

All wounds heal in time. As the saying goes: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And Kuroko can feel it – he is getting stronger. Slowly but surely.

It's not only Kuroko who notices. It seems that Kise too has gained an interest in the new pair, because on one of their few free days in battle class, the blond bounces over to them.

"Kurokocchi~"

Kagami raises a brow at the blond. Were those eyelashes  _real_?

"Kise-kun," Kuroko acknowledges.

Kagami jerks a thumb at the newcomer. "You know him?"

"Kise-kun is ranked third in the Fighter class."

"Oh?" The shine in Kagami's eyes leave no doubt as to what he has in mind.

Kise seems to catch his drift as well, but he holds up both hands defensively. "Ahh, but I'm not here for a fight. It's just that Kurokocchi has been so busy I haven't even been able to introduce my sacrifice to him." He feigns a pout. "I thought we were friends."

"We were?" Kuroko asks without missing a beat, causing Kise's pout to grow into a full blown wail. Still, out of politeness, Kuroko nods in acknowledgment to the man standing beside Kise who returned his quiet greeting. Kasamatsu – his mind recalls – is the man's name.

He has admittedly not kept up with neither Kise nor Midorima since Aomine left his life. Though this definitely explains why Kise's fangirls are particularly resigned lately.

"Well," Kagami cuts in, "Since you two are friends…how about a practice match?"

Kise chuckles. "You must be Kagami."

"We're third in ranked pairs, you know," Kise's companion finally speaks. It's obvious what he's implying. The air of superiority irritates even Kuroko.

"So you must be good, huh," Kagami grins. "But we'll show you – we're _better_."

* * *

"Kise, get your head in the game," Kasamatsu barks, jerking at a chain on his wrist.

For the first time since the match started, Kise is no longer smiling. "I am paying attention," he insists. "It's just that their attacks are… _weird_. Kagamicchi's attacks are somehow different from his words."

The Sacrifice scoffs, "That's impossible. You can only manipulate words from their original meaning to a certain extent."

"Not exactly."

The two flinch at the sudden appearance of a voice so close to their vicinity. Their defense has been breached.

"Kurokocchi-! What-"

Kagami appears right behind his partner. "You two just didn't hear  _Kuroko's_ part of the spell."

The match ends with their next spell, and the betting pools grow deeper.

* * *

Aomine's ears twitch at the familiar sound of ominous stomping. He groans, managing to sit upright from his napping spot just when the door slams open.  _Satsuki_.

"Dai-chan, what are you doing here? Skipping class  _again_?" Her tone left no room for excuses.

"Geh…" Aomine averts his eyes. It's no use lying to her. "Should you really be addressing a student so informally, _Momoi-sensei_?"

Momoi whacks him on the head. "Like you're one for any formalities. I may be your counselor, but I've known you since you were a little kid who wet his bed every night."

" _Satsuki_ ," he whines, checking the vicinity for any eavesdroppers. Luckily for, there are none.

"But, I  _am_  still your counselor, and Akashi-kun's been concerned about your recent absences. So I'm going to be generous and give you two choices Dai-chan. You can either go to class tomorrow, or I can put up some  _cute_  pictures of you all around school for the rest of the year."

"Are you  _threatening_ me?"

Momoi smiles sweetly. "Say hi to Tetsu-kun for me tomorrow."

* * *

It's not hard to realize that something is different about today's class – everyone is more restless than usual. The gossip is everywhere, and one name keeps popping up: Aomine Daiki.

The top student, Kagami recalls, but the name sounds familiar in some other way.

Then he sees Kuroko freeze like he's seen a ghost and it hits him.

Kuroko's former Fighter. Aomine Daiki is Kuroko's ex-Fighter.

* * *

Somehow, even after avoiding each other for months, they seek each other's presence as if by reflex. Aomine knows when Kuroko enters the room – and it doesn't take long for Kuroko to return his stare, but they both say nothing.

The moment is broken when a tall red-head throws his arm around Kuroko's shoulder and finally, Kuroko looks away to smile reassuringly at the other boy who Aomine assumes is his new partner.

Jealousy stirs in his chest, but he crushes it.

* * *

Riko gawks at the match-up chart for the day and wonders  _what the hell is Akashi thinking_.

"The first match today will be…Aomine Daiki against Kagami and Kuroko."

The whole class breaks out into barely restrained whispers and Kuroko pales.

* * *

"Fuck, he's  _good_ ," Kagami gasps in between spells. Kuroko wastes no energy in replying – he already knows.

"We need to reduce his mobility," Kuroko says. They are at a disadvantage – Aomine has already grazed them once, and that alone has shackled Kuroko's leg with a heavy chain, leaving him an open, immobile target.

"Easier said than done."

Aomine is  _fast_. Ridiculously so.

"We can try a feint then," Kuroko suggests. Aomine hasn't been in class lately, so he shouldn't know of their new trick yet. Kagami nods in agreement.

" _Unite, converge_ ," the Fighter starts his spell in a loud voice to draw Aomine's attention. " _Swallow whole the meal that rests on you, arise earth!_ "

" _Then bind_ ," Kuroko adds – a simple spell, but the factor of surprise makes even a simple incantation deadly.

The ground underneath Aomine begins to rumble.

" _Rise for naught, you will not harm me,_ " the sole Fighter counters immediately, jumping up as the floor beneath him juts up in chase. But it slows before it can hit, allowing Aomine to simply perch on it.

Then, effortlessly, he grabs the ropes that shoot out from the air with his bare hands. As if he knew they were coming.

"Tetsu, did you think I wouldn't hear you?"

Kuroko looks conflicted – shocked yet there is a part of him that is undeniably fluttering with joy. "You….heard me?"

"You  _heard_  him?" Kagami repeats. No one hears Kuroko. Even he doesn't hear his partner sometimes.

Aomine snorts. "Of course, the one who knows Tetsu best is me after all."

Kuroko averts his eyes. He can't deny it. As close as he and Kagami has grown over the months, his bond with Aomine is different. Stronger, if not horribly tangled.

Then, all of a sudden, Aomine leaps off the cliff and promptly walks off the arena. "Yo, Riko-sensei, I forfeit."

" _What_?!"

Kagami charges up to Aomine, grabbing his shirt. "You can't just leave like that. We aren't finished."

Aomine glares, "We are. We both know how this match will end. You're too weak to be Tetsu's Fighter, I injured you easily in the first five minutes and you couldn't lay a hand on me."

"Is this what this is about?" Kagami's voice gains an almost exasperated air. He realizes he has completely underestimated just how much of an idiot Aomine can be. "At least I'm doing a better job of it than you. What kind of Fighter abandons their Sacrifice?"

" _Don't_  assume you know me," Aomine snarls, but Kagami continues.

"Do you think you're helping him like this? Do you think he'll be  _happy_  like this?"

Aomine wrenches away as if the words  _burned_. They are questions that haunt him constantly, ones with answers that he doesn't want to acknowledge.

"Just because you've stopped being his Fighter doesn't mean he's stopped being a Sacrifice. And he'll be a damn good one with or without you."

Of course he will, Aomine thought to himself automatically. But something else clouded his mind, something more than just irritation at the transfer student's words. Insecurity, frustration,  _self-loathing_.

Like a teapot kept shut too long, it all explodes in two simple words.

" _Shut up_!"

He doesn't intend for the outburst to morph into a spell, but the emotions in it take a life of their own and knock the wind out of Kagami, throwing him like a ragdoll completely across the room.

Aomine feels just a little guilty, especially when Kuroko gives him a disapproving look, but he doesn't expect the stabbing sense of betrayal that hits him when Kuroko turns his back on Aomine in favor of checking on his partner.

That's right.

Kuroko Tetsuya is no longer his Sacrifice. Perhaps he never has been or will be. The "One" etched on his hand serves as a cruel reminder that he is alone. One – a single Fighter who works with no Sacrifice. And perhaps that is the way it is meant to be.

* * *

"Kagami-kun, I think you might have said too much," Kuroko says warily.

Kagami snorts. "Kuroko, I don't think anything short of a ten pound brick to the face can get through to that moron."

"I see Kagami-kun speaks from personal experience," he teases, much to Kagami's mortification.

"Oi, give me some credit! I'm not like him at all."

A smile. "Yes, Kagami-kun is Kagami-kun, and Aomine-kun is Aomine-kun. But you are both important to me so…thank you."

* * *

"It's about that time of year again, don't you think?" Akashi asks nonchalantly while sipping on his tea.

"For what? A Christmas festival? " Riko asks, feeling out of place among the older staff members who look at her with amused smiles.

Akashi's lips curl into a smirk. "I wouldn't go as far as to call it a festival more than a…test of sorts. Our traditional name for it is  _Night Training_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter count boosted to 4!  
> i thought i already updated this fic on AO3 but apparently not

**Author's Note:**

> I intend this to be out of 3 chapters but it may or may not change?? This is the shortest of the three unfortunately (for me)


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